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Jennifer Hudson Signs on for Smash

A week after casting Jeremy Jordan for a role on Smash Season 2, the NBC musical has announced another major move: Jennifer Hudson will come on board multiple episodes in 2013 as a longtime Broadway star.

As you might expect, look for Hudson's character of Veronica to impact Ivy and Karen in a major way.

“We’re thrilled to have Jennifer Hudson coming to Smash,” said NBC Chairman Robert Greenblatt. “This series is a showcase for some of the best musical talent in the business and that’s a fitting description for Jennifer Hudson. Her character will represent someone who reached their Broadway dream but also paid a price for it.”

Like Katharine McPhee, Hudson got her major break on American Idol. She then went on to win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Dreamgirls.

It's quite the coup for Smash, which floundered in the ratings and in the eyes of many critics as its opening season wore on. It has since let three actors go and hired a new showrunner and will return with new episodes in early 2013.